It always gets worse before it gets better
by No Freedom
Summary: A short story about Zoro and Sanji's relationship as it takes a surprising turn after some hard times. Hopefully the story is better than the summary. Prompt from tumblr Valentine exchange.


**It has come to my attention that this story is very hard to read and is quite difficult to follow.**

**This story had to be at the most 7k words. As you can see i went a little over that limit. I can try and go in and clean it up a bit more but please understand that it was a whole story at first.**

**second of all, thank you for telling me that this story is hard to read, Im going to go and edit it and take out somethings so its easier to understand and follow. I really do appreciate it.**

**Thank you and wait for the edit.**

**No.3**

"Happy Birthday!" Luffy waves to Sanji, who's visible in a window up in the building, saying goodbye to the ladies. Zoro stands by the cook, but walks away a second later and sits on the couch.

Luffy hops his and Nami's car and speeds off. Sanji smiles as his lovely lady waves out the window as the car drives away. The blond man turns around to locate the green head. The bigger man's sitting on the couch with a bottle of sake. It's Zoro's birthday and the big oaf is sitting on the couch drinking. At least the party is over, but it's not like their friends don't know about Zoro's drinking.

"Shitty marimo, drinking sake when he's got to clean up and open presents." Sanji scowls and kicks Zoro in the shin as he walks by to gather the plates. Luffy had been at the party, so Sanji didn't been preparing to preserve anything.

Zoro only 'tch'ed in response and took anotherswig of sake. Sanji strides to the kitchen which still in perfect condition after the party.

Him and Zoro had moved into this condo only a couple of months ago, they'd been so excited to finally get a place to their own together. Sanji smiles and blushes at the memory of the first night.

When they had been looking at the condos and apartments Zoro had acted like he didn't care, but with this one, Zoro seemed to light up little and stand by the windows looking at the horizon. He had requested to stay longer than usual with this one too. Of course when they got back to Sanji's place at the Baratie Zoro said that he didn't care about which one they chose, but Sanji had an idea that'd sooth both their needs.

The kitchen's neat and the counters are stone and marble. Redwood hardwood floors lined the ground that stretched into the living room. Cabinets line where the walls and ceiling connected, with brass handles that are worn giving it a rustic look with a dash of class due to the fancy shape. There's an island in the middle with drawers in it too with a hanging piece above where Sanji hangs all his pots and pans.

The living room is wide with random pieces of furniture scattered around the place, leaving it open for sparring matches, and various other activities that required space.

Sanji has gone through most of the plates and now all that's left are the utensils. He sighs and grabs a sponge to put soap on it.

Zoro may not seem to be the best person living with, but he's like a puzzle. Once Sanji figured the surprisingly simple man out, he became closer to the man himself, hoping that Zoro would let him in. That's how it had started, Sanji and Zoro's relationship. Well at least the part of it where they weren't swearing and kicking at each other. Sanji smirks at the memories before they had gotten together. Of course they still fight and swear and curse, but it's different than it's before. It has a different meaning, and they both smile while they fight.

Sanji places the last utensil on the drying rack and wipes down his hands with a towel. He strides into the living room only to see the marimo stretched out across the couch sleeping with his head resting on his bent left arm with his right one hanging off the edge. Sanji chuckles at that. His green is always in awkward positions when he sleeps, the idiot. Sanji runs a ribbon from a package over the swordsmans face, and he sneezes in his sleep like a dog or cat. Too cute for his own good. Of course if Sanji were to say that out loud he'd get a fist to the face. Smirking again at the thought of teasing the marimo. sanji bends down to press a soft kiss to the man's lips. As he backs away a strong hand wraps around the back of his neck and pulled him forward again to kiss him once more.

Zoro massages Sanji's lips with his own, moaning lightly as Sanji runs his hands through Zoro's short green hair. Licking Sanji's bottom lip, he asks silently for permission to enter. Sanji eagerly opens his lips for the foreign muscle into his mouth. Their tongues dance together between their mouths in a constant fight for dominance. Zoro groans into the kiss, lightly vibrating their mouths making Sanji whimper at the stimulated action. Somewhere along the kiss Zoro had moved his legs so he's now sitting normally but a little slouched back, and is leading Sanji to sit in his lap.

Sanji brakes the kiss gasping for air, keeping their foreheads touching as Sanji straddles Zoro with his hands locked in the short strands of hair at back of his head. A thin trail of saliva's connected their mouths until it snaps when Sanji bends to kiss Zoro lightly against the mouth in a quick peck.

"Zoro, we need to unwrap presents." He teases, not letting the marimo dive back in to kiss him. It's all or nothing with Zoro, and pressing light kisses to the mans mouth is one of his favorite ways to tease the marimo. Zoro growles in annoyance knowing Sanji's doing that on purpose just to mess with him, the shitty cook.

Sanji's weight disappears from his lap, and without opening his eyes he knows Sanji has gone over to the gifts. He scowles and opens his eyes anyway, and to his irritation Sanji's indeed inspecting the gifts that Zoro had received. The blond pokes at one that looks like Luffy's due to the wrapping job. Looking up Sanji smiles. "I think Luffy's gift needs to be refrigerated." He snickers as Zoro groans and calls Luffy an offensive name.

"Cook get back over here, leave the gifts alone." Zoro frowns. He'd rather be the one getting the cooks inspection then the boxes covered in obnoxious colorful paper. All his friendsl know how Zoro feels about his own birthday so they forced him to celebrate it. He couldn't care less about it.

Sanji just hums and walks around to see the other gifts.

One of Sanji's hands are resting on his leg as he leaned slightly over to see the gifts. The other's below his face, but the tips of his three tallest fingers are resting on his mouth, trying to mask a little smile at making Zoro wait while he inspects things the marimo doesn't give a shit about. Sanj chuckles when he hears an annoyed growl come from Zoro's direction.

Sanji and Zoro walk down the street towards a cafe that they sometimes go to on days they have nothing to do. The day's nice, with a slight chill of breeze every now and then. Not too many people walk the streets, making it easier to maneuver in the thin crowd. Of course the duo are arguing the whole time on their way. About many different things. As of now they are arguing over what a better pet it'd be to have. Sanji insists on a cat, for they are elegant and powerful. While Zoro insists on a dog, loyal and smart. An age old fight that's been going on for as long as anyone cares to think about it. But that doesn't stop the blond and green from quarreling over it.

Now the thing they both stray away from is the thought of actually owning an animal. The argument is purely about the two animals, not how they'd fit into their lives. Which is why Sanji pauses when Zoro says "If we had a cat it'd be annoying us all the time. And our job times are centered around the life for a dog." He says it so casually, and he's so into the conversation he didn't notice Sanji's confused face. So he continued.

"Cats are awake at night more than the day, and I know how you need your beauty sleep cook." Zoro pauses and waits for Sanji to snap back at him. The insult was enough to shake Sanji out of his thoughts and shot back at the marimo.

"Tch, dogs are like slaves. They do whatever you tell them and don't have a mind of their own. Cats are independent." Sanji raises his head proudly as if cats have some connection to him. He scowles in his mind. Him and Zoro are mature enough to have a living thing together! Well at least Sanji thinks so...

They continue to argue as the conversation molds into different arguments about various other topics. They walk into the cafe and paused their bickering to order at the counter and act like civil human beings.

Zoro sits on the brown leather couch with a table in front of it so he and the cook could rest their drinks. Sanji walks over and sits down frowning. "But I swear, Batman is much better than Superman" Sanji states as if that's the end if the discussion. Zoro just huffs, accepting that there's no use trying to budge the blond with this. It's one if the first things they argued about when they first met back at Sanji's restaurant when Luffy introduced them about a year and a half ago.

Sanji settles back into the brown leather couch, where Zoro's arm just happened to be slung around. The indent from Sanji leaning back makes Zoro's arm roll forward and around Sanji's shoulders. The cook hums in approval after taking a sip of his coffee.

The little shop's on a corner of a street just a couple blocks down the road from their condo. It's perfect for cold days during the weekends and days off. It always had soft music playing quietly in the background. Pieces of furniture shoved in odd places and weird things decorating the walls makes it feel homey but semi hipstery, with all the pictures and artwork of trees fields and life in general. There's just enough people to fill it today for it to feel comfortable and full. As if a person has just eaten and they are full just the right amount, leaving them with a warm fuzzy feeling.

Zoro leans his head back taking in a deep breath of coffee bean smell, and home baked sweets. There are heaters in the store, which is one if the reasons why they come here too. Zoro replays their conversations (arguments) on their way over to the cafe. There's one where the cook was weirdly quiet. He didn't think much of it then, but now it seems that there's something wrong with that. What was it about again?

Cats and dogs. They were fighting over which were better, so what went wrong? Zoro frowned, trying to pinpoint the exact point when Sanji had gone quiet...

"Oi marimo," Sanji looks up at Zoro. Sanji's beanie sliding low on his face, making him lean his head back to see the taller man. The green head grunts and looks down at the blond man in his arm, signaling for him to continue. "What did you mean in the dog cat conversation?"

Zoro frowned. That's what he's trying to figure out. "What did I say?" He asks. Sanji hufs and rolls his eyes murmuring 'nevermind' under his breath.

"Oh no, The marimos brain capacity has expired so much now it only has enough space to hold only the important dates, I've been dreading this day" Sanji smirks at his tease.

Sanji can feel Zoro growle quietly next to him, but the green doesn't say anything.

* * *

Zoro frowns as he hears the door to their condo slam shut. Sanji's just left after getting pissed off at him. This in on itself isn't too surprising, and that's why Zoro ignores it. Although that doesn't mean that his brain wont bother him about it for the rest of the day.

Zoro doesn't have work that day and Sanji's just left to go to his work. So that leaves most of the day all to Zoro, and his thoughts.

Lately Sanji's been pissier, and just all over irritable lately. Augh! Zoro scowles and grabs his hair, lightly pulling on it. Damn it he said that he's gonna ignore that! Letting things brew around in his mind make him overthink things, that always ends up in bad things, for him and anyone else that's concerned.

* * *

Zeff watches Sanji while the young man is on his break.

Sanji sits in the kitchen of the baratie, his head in his hands, slouching over the table in the middle of the room. Today is a slow one so Sanji actually has time to mope around with his thoughts pounding in his head.

Sanji's been complaining that Zoro's been more annoying. Sanji's just trying to keep things together, the idiot just doesn't understand anything. At least is what the blond rants about. Zoro can get annoying aparently and it seems to piss Sanji off to a point he obviously doesn't like to be at all.

Zeff walks over to the eggplant that, by the looks of it, is having troubles with his boyfriend again. When he hears that Sanji's dating a man he'd felt jealous of him, not having to deal with all the drama that comes with a girlfriend. But a damn boyfriend seems to be even harder. For christ sake the little eggplant has nearly cut off his own damn fingers with the lack of sleep he's been getting.

* * *

The tension is thick in the air between Luffy's two friends. They all sit around a bench at their park in the town. Usually it's a big fun thing to go there, watch Luffy Usopp and Franky goof off while Brook sings. Nami and Robin would smile and chat, sometimes Robin would chat with Chopper. Zoro would drink and Sanji would fawn over the ladies even though his boyfriend was there.

This time though there's a thick tension hanging in the air. No one's talking except for the occasional person who'd try to start conversation but it dies away quickly. Even Luffy isn't blabbering about something him and his brother had done. Franky clears his throat and looks at something interesting on the floor. The only two people who weren't sitting there awkwardly were Sanji and Zoro, who were in a glaring match.

Sanji scowls at Zoro. Why the hell is he staring at this Neanderthal! His chest feels tight but it could explode at any time. A bubble in his chest, that is most definitely filled with peachy colors, is growing so big it's been getting hard to breath.

The way the sun shines through the green locks on the swordsman's head creates shadows over his other pieces creating beautiful shades of green that compliment his bronze skin. Sanji traces all of his defined features on the marimos face. His high cheek bones, big flat forehead that just goes so well it's confusing. His defined and big jaw line. Those eyes.

God damn it every time Zoro looks at him Sanji melts and is left breathless. He swears Zoro could see into his soul with those eyes! Gah now he's got a headache from the bastard he hates him so much! The marimo's making Sanji's mind twist in knots trying to figure itself out!

Zoro on the other hand is studying the blonds features, watching as each thought passes across Sanji's face. He swears he can see them slide past in those big blue ocean eyes, he could get lost in them if he wasn't careful.

Sanji's bangs fall over his face cutely as he (most likely) subconsciously tilted his head a little making the silky strands slide over his creamy skin. A cute little crease in between his eyebrows form as the blond seems to be thinking hard about something, something quite frustrating as the man huffs and scowls at Zoro's chin. Zoro smirks to himself trail his his eyes down to the mans weird thin goatee beard thing that's quite soft but bristly to the touch, or tongue. Of course it's been a while since they've done anything intimate, unless sleeping in the same bed is classified as intimate. No, it's not, not in Zoros book at least.

The rest of the short stay of the park Zoro and Sanji stayed like that, while almost everyone else excuses themselves to go mess around somewhere else. Nami Chopper and Robin are all under a tree discussing something. Franky Usopp Luffy and Brook are all playing tag around the grassy field.

* * *

Sanji sits in the empty condo. Almost half the stuff gone from the place leaving it feeling like a cold empty cave with random shit strone around. He tiredly raises a glass of wine to his lips, and absentmindedly rubbs his puffy red eyes which makes them sting. He curses under his breath. A headache pounds in his head, not from any alcohol though. He's done it. It was getting out of control really. Their friends stopped inviting them both at the same time to things due to the mood killer that seems to follow the duo around. They'd stopped sleeping in the same bed a while ago. Him and Zoro, it can't work out between them.

Sanji had planned on talking to the other man about it maturely but of course that wasn't possible with a fucking marimo! He wanted to try and work things out between them. Try and fix the void that grew. When he had started Zoro had looked… Hollow? That's what it looked like to the blond at least. As if he knew that it was coming, but dreaded it and wished that it wouldn't. No, thats just Sanji's head teasing him. Saying that he broke up with Zoro for no reason and he should go and get him right now. That's not true though, Zoro doesn't want him. What some people shout in anger is their thoughts, whether it's true or not they still had thought of them like that.

Sanji lifts his head and stares blankly at the ceiling. If he lets his thoughts stew in his mind like they always do, he'd going to convince himself of something that's not true.

Why do things always become more clear when it's too late to fix them? He's broken up with Zoro because the were drifting apart, not speaking as much and there was no touch of any kind anymore. It was degrading really. So he set the marimo free. Isn't how the saying goes? If you love something let it go, and if it comes back its yours to keep? Something like that at least. Well Sanji set the marimo free, but Sanji's sure that the man's not coming back.

Love… that's what he felt for Zoro. That confusing and rather painful feeling in his gut was. The fucking feeling that's supposed to make people happy, have a family, go on trips and have fun no matter what! Not something that teaches ballet to his intestines and other major arteries.

He glances at the wall where a picture that was Zoro's once hung there, but now it's empty. He looks to another empty spot on the wall, then to one in the living room, and where a chair used to be, and where pots used to sit, and-

Okay, time for a walk.

* * *

Zoro frownes at the ceiling of the dojo as he hears foot steps make their way over towards him room. They pause for a second, (which was stupid because he already knew they were there) and knocking rapped on the door.

Zoro's gone to his room and locked the door for a reason. He doesn't want to be bothered. No matter what. The goddamn building could be going down in flames and he wouldn't have given two shits about it. But the knocks on the door repeated and with a sigh he got up and padded his way over to the door.

"What?" He growled when he saw his sister on the other side through the peep hole. He hears her sigh and sees her jut her hip to place her hand on it in a sassy way.

"Zoro, I know you're right next to the door. Now open up." She glares into the peep hole.

When no answer or any kind of sound came through she rolled her eyes. "Your voice is way too close to the door for you to be anywhere else in the room. And I can see your feet under the door" She waits for a moment again. She almost thinks that the idiot thinks he can out wait her. "Zoro god damn it Im going to break down this door so help me god." the black haired girl stood balanced on two feet to show that she wasn't kidding. There was a sound of something clicking then the door sliding open and heavy footsteps leading away.

Kuina steps in and frowns at the baka laying on the bed face down. If he isn't careful he could suffocate laying like that. She walks forwards silently and sat down on the bed. It bounced lightly as the springs creaked when she sat. Zoro lays there, his back heaving up and down from the lack of air the covers provided him. In truth, he just wants to be alone. But If Kuina was just going to sit there peacefully and not bug him, then he could live with that.

Of course she is his older sister so being quiet isn't one of her virtues. "Zoro, you can't sit in your room all week end." She smooths the sheets that creased around the weight of the swordsman's body. Zoro just grunts in response. He doesn't want to do anything right now. Not move, or think. Or breath for that matter. But not die, just not breath because its too much god damn energy wasted. Damn it, what's gotten into him. He was training only a couple of day ago! Now he's just… Well he's just not, doing anything!

"Zoro." Kuina frowns, he knows she hates people ignoring her. Sad, depressed or anything else she doesn't give a damn. When someone speaks, you've gotta answer. Of course, in Zoro's head grunting is an acceptable answer. When she didn't hear any noise from the big man on the bed she shoved at his shoulder causing him to roll over.

A loud snore shook the bed frame.

* * *

Sanji wipes more 'moisture' from his eyes and some from his cheeks that had managed to escape his ever blinking eyes. Him and Zoro have only been spilt up for a handful of days now, but god damn if he isn't missing the green haired bastard! He thought that it'd be okay, and he could do this. But not being with Zoro, not seeing his stupidly cute mug, his furrowed brow, the way he always found the most inconvenient places to nap, was too much of a loss. Even before they got together in a relationship, they were always around each other. Shooting insults between them, sending glairs over to the other. There was always some sort of interaction between them.

He stops walking down the road that he had decided to walk just to get out of the dreary condo, and leans against a side of some a deep breath of the cool crisp morning air Sanji tried to steady his breathing, and thoughts. Okay, so him and Zoro are… not a thing. So what now? Just hope that he get's his thoughts sorted out and Zoro would (hopefully) too. It's just… He's not sure what he's supposed to do without the marimo around.

He pushes off the cool brick of the wall and starts walking down the empty street. It seems that early in the morning walks are only something he likes to partake in due to the empty street. That's actually all the better for Sanji. Less people around when he's in a bad mood is always the best thing, for him and them. A thick dark blue wool jacket coveres his arms and shoulders, with the collar high enough to nuzzle his nose in. Dark grey pants hugged his hips and black shoes kept his feet warm. Although his cloths were thick and comfy, it didn't stop him from shivering. A headache was pounding in his skull, making his eyes go unfocused occasionally and having him lean against a near wall just to get his balance and bearings back. This is the cause of too many thoughts and feelings flooding and rushing through his mind, or any ones mind in fact.

He took a deep breath and started walking once again.

His breaths come out in puffs that linger in the air before the cold rips it apart. His shoes clack on the concrete as he lost himself in his thoughts and emotions. Hands shoved deep in his pockets and nose buried in the collar of his jacket. A light blush ting his cheeks ears and nose from the biting cold. More tears streaked their way down his face before he knew they had escaped. How long is it going to hurt..?

* * *

Zoro finally left his room. After a day and a half of moping around and feeling depressed he finally sucked it up and left the small room he had been staying in. It got stuffy and cluttered and had developed a foul smelling odor (that didn't come out for weeks after.)

Kuina, Koshiro, and Zoro all sit at the table having food that Zoro doesn't have the appetite to eat. Anything that he'd try to hold down would come exploding out of him. In more than one way.

There's still pain. There's always still pain. Emotional pain is the hardest to cure and almost always leaves a scar. One must be careful with the wound, and treating it should be the first thing. Attending to an emotional wound so it won't scar over is very delicate work and won't always work. Sometimes it can make it even worse.

It always gets worse before it gets better

Good thing Kuina and Koshiro are masters with Zoro's feelings, due to the death of his birth parents when he was young.

But Zoro doesn't want their help, which is why he slips out the back door, after cleaning up breakfast, so he can have some time without the air thick with worry.

Zoro walks down the cobbled road, his heavy boots thump on the stones as he walks. The crisp morning air bites at his skin turning his cheeks and the tips of his ears and nose a light shade of red. A green sweater and black jeans along with his boots were all that he covered himself with. He didn't bother putting on an undershirt beneath his sweater, wasting energy wasn't on the top of his list anyways.

Not many people like being out in the cold morning air like Zoro. It helps clear his mind and wake up. To him, it was the next best thing than ice cold shower in the morning. Only a few cars are on the road, one passes by every now and then. The loud rumbling engines would wake the neighbors, nothing could wake Zoro from his thoughts.

Was Sanji serious about the break up or was it some hormonal tangent made him break up with Zoro? Although Sanji is not a girl.

Before he knew Sanji he lived without him around, because of the lack of knowing the blond idiot. After he met him they were always around each other and texting and calling. Just on a friendly rivalry note. Then there relationship deepened beyond Nakama and friends, and they became lovers. In fact Zoro was thinking of proposing now that the state they lived in legalized gay marriage.

But the thought of not being with Sanji, and knowing the other one's out there. That causes a gut wrenching feeling in the bottom of his stomach. Zoro's throat constricts and his mouth dries up. It shocks him that his body has a strong response to a thought, but it isa horrible one indeed.

He rounds a corner, not really paying mind to where his feet are taking him, just let them lead to wherever he ends up. He could let himself get lost in thought almost completely without the danger of walking into someone who wasn't looking. The thought never occurred to him that his feet might be taking him to the one man he really couldn't handle seeing right now.

* * *

Zoro eventually recognizes the part of town he's in. He snaps his head up to glance around as if he'd see Sanji standing right there. Of course that's a stupid thought, just because this is where Sanji lived doesn't mean that he's bound to see the golden haired man

He freezes as he sees a yellow haired man about to cross the road. No that couldn't be Sanji… right? The man seemes deep in thought and his curled eyebrows cutely scrunched up in all the turmoil apparently whirling around in his head.

Oh god it's Sanji. The only person he's ever call cute in the privacy of his own mind was the foul mouthed cook, and who else had those trademark curly-Q eyebrows?

Zoro let's out a shuddering breath, trying to snap himself into reality. When the sound of a truck horn had him rather harshly yanked out of the fuzzy warm feeling of seeing his lo- his ex-lover. Looking down the sharp turn of where Sanji's crossing, because of the angle he had being on the other side of the street, he could see a large moving truck moving forward at an alarming speed.

There is only one thing Zoro can think of.

"SANJI, RUN!"

* * *

Sanji doesn't know what he'd do if he saw Zoro again. He'd most likely stand there like the dumbass he is and wait for Zoro to do something to shake him out of his shock. Or maybe he'd throw himself at the man and beg for forgiveness? Maybe Zoro would be with another partner, perhaps a lovely lady(bothSanji and Zoro being bisexual)!? Oh god, what would Sanji do if Zoro's in another relationship? Most likely die. Okay, even he has to admit, that's a bit over reacting. Maybe he is a bit of a drama queen as much as Zoro says he is…

He can hear a horn, but maybe that's in the distance, so he doesn't look up. But it get's louder, and it seems to be heading towards him? Another horn sounds, this time much closer. He lifts his head, and just as he does so he hears:

**"SANJI, RUN"**

He has no idea Zoro is here, or why he's telling him to run. He had a sight of his beautiful Zoro, although there's pure dread and panic clearly painted across his face. What would he be so-

The pain never even registered. First there was the marimo, then nothing.

* * *

It's as if time was in slow motion.

The front of the car impacted on Sanji's side. He could feel the blonds pain, and watched dreadfully as the lights slowly left his eyes. The body went limp and crumpled to the ground after cracking his head on the good of the car. The force from the impact sent the blond flying a couple of feet, and his head cracked again on the concrete, leaving a rather bloody mark.

Zoro doesn't realize his legs are moving until he's crouching down at Sanji's side. He checks for a pulse, but his hands are shaking so bad that he can't tell if there was one or if it's just him. The blood pounded in his ears and it felt like he's having ulcers.

He fumbles with his phone a bit and managed to call Chopper saying Sanji might be dead and he needed Chopper to bring the "emergency people" right away. Chopper, not having to deal with the 911 calls was very flustered and confused over the phone but Zoro told him his location and hung up.

He can't do anything more for the blond man, other than pick up the limp body and cradle it into his chest. Squeezing Sanji so tight to himself that if it were any tighter they'd merge together.

Maybe if he did squeeze tight enough then some of whatever's going on with Sanji, would transfer over to Zoro. The blondes head is bleeding quite a bit, so Zoro can't tell if there's any seriouse trama.

Of course Zoro knows that clutching Sanji isn't logical thinking, but that's all he can do, clutch Sanji to his chest and cry. He sobs. He wails like the world's going to burn in hell and he's the first one down. Of course he wouldn't be crying then, smirking and accepting the challenge to get stronger sounds more like him. But with this, he knows there's nothing he can do but wait.

Sanji's skin has began to pale, and his head wouldn't stop fucking bleeding. At some point the man in the truck had gotten out to see if there's anything he could do, but Zoro ignored whatever the driver was doing.

Zoro doesn't notice the old man crouching down on the other side of Sanji until he's holding onto the blond man wrist checking for a pulse. Zoro has stopped wailing by then, and was just gently rocking back and forth with the blond in his arms as the knot in his chest gets tighter. The old man gently places the blond man's hand back down and didn't say anything. That's alright, Zoro doesn't want to know if Sanji's dead, he must be going through physical hell right nowadays he's alive, and if he wasn't… well…

The ambulance got there not long after. They put bandages all around Sanji's head and rib cage, they put a sort of brace around his neck, and his arm's in a sling while the other had what looked like a temporary cast. Only a few bandages were wrapped around Sanji's knuckles concluding that his hands were not beyond repair. Although the broken arm part might be annoying for him. Zoro said Sanji's his brother, so he rode in the ambulance with the unconscious blond.

Zoro's pounding heart doesn't slow down the whole ride. He doesn't know what happened to the old man and the truck, and frankly he doesn't care. His chest feels like it's going to shatter with all the twisting and clenching it's doing, and his head pounds behind his skull making his vision get blurry eyed every now and then.

He doesn't release Sanji's hand the whole ride.

* * *

Zoro sits in the waiting room nervously waiting for a doctor to tell him he can see the blond man now. But no one comes. Lunch comes and goes,, and still no doctor.

It's almost the middle of the night when a young hazel haired boy walks around the corner. Zoro sits straight up in his seat. Chopper has his doctor face on, and by the looks of it, something's pretty fucking serious.

"Chopper." Zoro calls out so the boy knows he's there. The doctor waves him over, and beckons him to follow him. Neither of them say anything for the short walk to the door where Sanji is. Although it's only a few yards, it feels like miles on the journey to the blond man's room.

He doesn't know what he's going to find. Sanji with missing limbs? Paralyzed? Or his lifeless body?

Tears welled up at the thought. His feet seem heavy during the walk. His chin seems to be attracted to his chest as he feels it droop down to stare at the floor. They slowed down to a halt before a closed door. It's a singular room, meaning to house only one patient at'a time. Only used in extreme cases. Zoro's blood runs cold at the fact. He glances nervously to Chopper.

"I don't want you to be surprised when you go in, so I've got to warn you… Sanji's not like how he was. At least not now." Chopper's worry shown through his doctor mask, mostly because it's his own friend he's talking about too.

What does Chopper mean by 'or at least not right now'? is that good? does that mean Sanji will get better? before Zoro can ask any questions, chopper opens the door to Sanji's bed lay and all thought in Zoro's mind disappears.

Slowly he walks in.

Sanji's lying on the hospital bed, eyes closed and deathly pale, but breathing none the less. The fact that Sanji's chest heaving up and down and his nostrils widening slightly with each exhale, sends a wave of relief through Zoro. He feels so relieved that he almost laughs.

A small smile pulls at the corner of his mouth. He drags out a chair besides the bed and sits in it. Sanji looks like he's just sleeping. His body and even mind must be exhausted at trying to keep himself alive from something that fatal. Even with the antibiotics and other medical crap Zoro knows Sanji still has worn himself out.

Zoro allows himself to relax a little into the chair and looses himself while watching the breathing of the man before him. Chopper walks in and stands next to Zoro. The green haired man notices how chopper's wringing his wrists and nervously bouncing from one foot to the other. "What's the matter?" Zoro turns towards the young doctor.

Chopper looks up at him with slightly watery eyes. "It looks like Sanji's just sleeping off his body's exertion, which technically is correct, but…" Chopper pauses and glances at Zoro, who gives him a reassuring nod.

It must be hard being a doctor and having to tell the loved one's conditions of other loved ones. Zoro can understand.

"Well, it's just that…" Chopper's voice wavers, but he clears it and continues. "We, and by we I mean me and the other doctors assigned to Sanji, don't exactly know when Sanji is going to… well, wake up. So this puts Sanji's mind and body into a coma state, Well a real coma that is. Not a state of one… The only thing we know for sure is that he's notbin any unifier danger" He rather half rambles and half stutters his way through the sentence.

Zoro stares at Chopper for a second. They don't know when Sanji's going to wake up. Sanji is in a coma and isn't going to wake up any time soon. He can't get his mind to catch up quick enough.

No, this isn't how it's supposed to happen. Sanji's not supposed to be in a coma. Sanji's supposed to be out there, cooking and swooning after girls, chasing after skirts. Not sitting here in a hospital looking like a breathing corpse.

"Im so sorry." Chopper chokes out. He's on the verge of crying himself. Zoro seems to realize this, knowing that Chopper has to actually make the diagnosis- which could've been why it took so long, chopper making sure everything's actually 100% correct -Zoro reaches out and pulls his friend into his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around the small body as it begins to shake a shudder. Sobbs eventually find their way out.

* * *

Sanji has waken up slightly for only a few seconds, but long enough to see many... Doctors.

He wakes up sitting upright due to the bed being folded up. He has some questions, but no one's paying any mind to him, well at least not him personally. There are a bunch of nurses checking machines that are hooked up to him, sometimes one would come over and try to give him a shot, to which he readily fought, but gave in when Chopper offered to do it.

Most of the things were a blur of men and women dressed in white, blue, or pink scrubs, walking around checking complicated looking machines and every now and then a familiar face. But no one ever really interacted with him. Finally, when most of all the nurses have left the room, chopper has said he'd be back very quickly, he just had to make a phone call.

While chopper's just outside the room, Sanji takes a look around. He's indeed in a hospital, judging by the white walls and white bed sheets, and white pretty much anything. Glancing out the window that's by his bed it seemed that he's on the second level of the building. Zoro isn't there. Of course Zoro isn't there, Sanji has just broken up with him, why would Zoro be there? He probably doesn't even know Sanji's in the hospital. Hell, Sanji didn't even know why he's in the hospital. No one's answering his god damned questions!

Chopper walks back in and Sanji can see the dark circles under Choppers eyes showing lack of sleep. Why hasn't Chopper getting any sleep? WHY IS HE IN THE HOSPITAL? He looks quizzically at Chopper, his throat too dry to speak yet. The doctor places a glass of water on the tray hovering over Sanji's bed. "I called Zoro, he's going to be here in a few minutes. He'll explain everything."

Sanji took a sip of water. Why did he call Zoro? What does he mean 'explain everything'? what was there to explain other than why he was in the hospital? This was all very confusing to Sanji and so he decided to drink as much water as he could so he'd be able to speak when Zoro got there.

* * *

Zoro knocked hesitantly at the door to Sanji's room. Every time he's been here, it was always the same look of a breathing corpse.

Nothing to do but wait. Now, the sight that greets him when chopper opens the door is a slight surprise. Sanji is… laying down, like he always is whenever Zoro comes to visit. But this time Sanji wasn't a corpse, his skin had adapted a healthy color and the bags under his eyes were barely there. The machines that were there to keep Sanji alive while in his state were missing and only some IV's, a heart monitor plus some random equipment that he's not sure what they do. But are obviously needed to keep the blond alive.

Zoro's heart leaps into his throat. His Sanji is okay. He woke up, and is sleeping now, but he isn't in that horrible life on the edge-of-a-cliff thing. Zoro can feel his heart pound so hard he can feel it behind his eyes and in his fingertips. His hands shake with nervousness and his breaths start to quicken.

He was slightly nervous to hear that maybe some horrible thing was there too, as a catch. Sure Sanji was awake, but he can't walk. Sure Sanji's awake, but his hands don't work properly. Sure Sanji's awake, but he can't hear anything. Sure Sanji's awake, but he has no memory.

Seeing Choppers smile makes him smile brightly too, although he can see there is some hesitation. He has gotten to the hospital only ten minute after the call had been made, so maybe Chopper has found something?

He walks up to The sleeping Sanji and sits down in the chair he always sits in when he visits. Now all he's gotta do is wait.

* * *

Chopper has to shake Zoro awake when Sanji awakes.

Zoro blinks the sleepiness out of his eyes, but he snaps fully awake when he sees Sanji sitting upright in his bed. His heart skips a beat and he sits up straighter in his chair. He takes a deep breath and clears his throught just incase it might cracked.

"Sanji…" it comes out more of a quiet breathy whisper than a real word. Zoro's eyes are big, filled with excitement, but also fear. When Sanji doesn't react, Zoro tried saying his name louder, maybe the blond hadn't heard him? Zoro's heart rate picks up and his eyes darted to different features of the blond. Was Sanji deaf? or was he mad at Zoro? Why's he not looking over to Zoro.

Chopper places a hoof on Zoro's shoulder when Sanji still doesn't react. His hard competition forming back on his face he looks down at Chopper. "What's up with him?" He asks in a tone that suggests that they weren't actually in the hospital and were just at home.

"Ask him yourself" Chopper walks over to Sanji and whispers a few words to the blond man, trying to convince him to look at Zoro. Zoro sits there nervously waiting, his nerves frying themselves, and his mind bringing up the worst possible scenarios.

He keeps his hard face on, not letting any of the emotion he's feeling slip past. He furrowed his eyebrows at the thought of all the things that could be wrong. But eventually Chopper gets Sanji to turn around.

When he does, Zoro's heart aches so badly it's as if there's a magnet pulling to it's opposite inside his chest. A stab of pain shoots him right in the heart at the sight of the blond. There's no visible injury, nothing on the outside that can be healed and patched up. But the emotion in the thinner mans eyes is almost too overwhelming.

The deep ocean blue has many emotions swimming within them, conflicting each other and making Sanji's eyes shine with how much pain he's in. Sadness seems to overwhelm the blond, adding to his stooped posture and tired eyes. It's unbearable to see that it gives Zoro headaches and and makes him dizzy. Sabjis arms and legs don't want to move unless 100% necessary. Energy seems to be zapped just by thinking about something.

Zoro freezes before that look. Something that powerful brewing in Sanji's head shown through his eyes, making them a spotlight of pain and sadness. Zoro can feel the blonds gaze on him, that's how intense the look was. His skin tingled and the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end. Something is horribly wrong.

Zoro sits at the end of the hospital bed with Sanji on the other end with his knees tucked up to his chest. Sanji hasn't said a word the whole time. The only time someone has asked him a question was when Zoro called his name, but now the green haired man sits staring out of the window, the light from the sun playing beautifully across his face, and forming shadows and different shades of bronze due to his skin tone. The larger mans eyes shine in the light, illuminating his dark eyes showing their true color: dark brown. Usually they're so dark that they are usually considered black. But in rare times like this one, when the sun/light shine just so making his eyes show their colors.

Sanji watches his Zoro, er, he was his right? Were they together? Although he remembers breaking up with the man. But this does mean that Zoro had come back, so… can he keep him? Pain stabbed through the cooks heart again when he remembers a fact. Zoro just being in the room doesn't help. Right, his life won't ever be the same, and Zoro won't want to be with him.

Zoro glances over at the cook, to the man staring at him before darting his gaze away with a slight tinge of pink to his cheeks. It makes Zoro shiver pleasantly and heat rise to his cheeks of the thought that Sanji was thinking of him. His skin tingles with electricity and his heart sends surges of warmth through his veins warming his muscles that had been stressed out too much lately.

But then Sanji stared. Well okay yeah, Zoro was staring too, but Sanji stared. Right at the green haired man. Zoro can feel those blue eyes bore into his skull and burn a trail through his skin wherever Sanji looked.

Sanji is awake. Zoro just can't believe the fact that all his waiting is done. If Sanji remembers breaking up with him they can make up and restart. If the time when Sanji broke it off with him wasn't enough for Zoro to realize that he just can't live without Sanji in his life, then the cook going into a coma sure did.

Both of the men's hearts pounded in their rib cages. The energy between the two is intense enough for the air to feel as if it is statically charged. Zoro can almost hear the electricity snapping between them as the staredown continued.

He looks into Sanji's eyes, that remind him of a swelling ocean. All the emotion clashing together, creating friction, make the blond mans blue eyes swell and mix. Crashing against the thin wall that holds all the emotion.

Sanji's breathing becomes labored as he feels Zoro's eyes bore into him, as if they are looking past him and into his soul. Reading his thoughts and knowing and feeling all of his emotions mixing around in him and his gut. His head pounds and his legs tingled with pins-and-needles pricking at him.

The man's heart beats ahundred miles a hour but felt hollow and brittle at the same time. As if there was an ocean trying to pound around in there, but there's not a lick of water to be moved. Empty chambers of his heart pound desperately, trying to get at least air to move into the blood vessels. But even the air is so stagnant and stale in there that it's hard to get anything to move except for a couple of pebbles rattling around.

His breaths feel as if they should be seen in the air, but came out hotter than fire. Everything about Sanji contradicted himself. His mind constantly being pulled in two different directions, and just too much for him to even understand. It feels as if his mind actually was twisted into knots by the way it pounded behind his thin skull.

* * *

Zoro, still sitting at the end of the bed, is now turned towards Sanji sitting cross legged. Sanji, sitting with his legs outstretched, is trying his hardest not to look at Zoro, fearing the obvious communication.

Chopper has excused himself from the room to let Sanji and Zoro sort things out.

What is he going to do if Zoro asks him a question? How is going to say… What would he do? How would he react? What if Zoro asked him a yes or no question, and another, and only yes or no questions until he finally asks a complicated question and the-

Zoro's warm hand wraps gently around his ankle. Sanji looks up and is caught by the other man's eyes. So much emotion is being held in. So much is just beyond reach. But his facial features are pained, as if there's something that he's been dealing with by himself for too long. It makes Sanji want to wrap his arms around the big man, and soak up all the hurt and pain, until he sees the lopsided smile again.

Zoro opens his mouth as to say something, and he feels the blond tense. Curiously, he closed his mouth and moved closer, only just noticing the eyes about to meet his but darting away at the last second.

Keeping his hand around the cooks ankle, he reaches his other hand up and grips the blonds jaw gently, leaning closer, peering into his eyes. Almost if he could just get closer he could find out what is troubling the thin man.

Zoro gets so close that he can feel the shuddery breath of the other man's across his lips, but never breaks eye contact. Now that he's got it, he's not letting go.

* * *

Sanji's heart pounds so hard against his rib cage, it feels like months have passed since Zoro last touched him, but it couldn't have been…

There's definitely something in his chest, and heart chambers. Pounding wildly and spreading warmth through him. It started in his chest and spread to his arms and torso to his four arms and legs, then to his palms and shins, and finally curling at his fingers and toes.

The hand on his chin, although it's innocent, feels like fire on his skin. There's really no other way to describe it. Fire searing into his flesh, warming his bones to the coar taking over his senses. Sanji needs to kiss him. He needs Zoro's lips on his skin, on his mouth. And those fiery hands. Trailing burning passageways through his skin. He feels the want almost bursting out of him, trying to grab Zoro and gobble him up inside him. It's quite scary how much want is boiling through him, what it's almost forcing him to do. So he stays still. Frozen to the spot by Zoro's searching eyes, and the emotions rolling inside him.

* * *

Zoro feels Sanji's fast pulse in his leg and even chin. He frowns and leans closer, their noses almost touching.

To an outsider, it may look like they're about to kiss. Only if they were looking from where Zoro's back is to them, and they can see Sanji's face. Because Zoro's brows are set in a deep scowl with the corners of his mouth turned down slightly. His searching eyes stare into Sanji's shocked and confused ones.

Zoro did notice that the swelling oceans behind the blue eyes turned into a full out storm the minute he touched him. Neither of them have said a word this whole time. Which slightly surprises Zoro because Sanji would've at least tried to form a sentence by now. But maybe he's learned that actions speak louder than words.

When Sanji tilts his head just so, their bottom lips bounce lightly off each other, and that sends volts of electricity shooting through both mens spines. Zoro feels, rather than hears the hitch in Sanji's breath at the simple contact.

Zoro finally closes the miniscule gap, pressing his lips to the blond man's. Sanji's lips are soft and fluid, they bend and curl, but can be strong and powerful when needed. Zoro's slightly chapped lips are hard and thick, demanding the other to move with his.

Zoro presses closer to Sanji hesitantly, thanking himself for touching the blond earlier otherwise he'd be in a rather awkward position now. He would have most likely toppled the blond over.

He keeps the kiss chaste, just the movement of lips over lips. But that alone is enough to elicit wanton moans from the smaller man. He slowly moves his hand from gripping Sanji's chin, to sliding it along his face until he's cuping the blonde cheek.

He feels Sanji's hesitant hand lightly touch his shoulders, silently asking permission to touch. Zoro breaks the kiss but doesn't move away. Instead he rests his forehead upon the other's, catching his breath. Nodding his head he tells Sanji to place his hands on his strong shoulders, rubbing the muscles there, as if getting used to them again, getting reaquainted. The blond man slides his hands up, over the curve of his shoulder and began down his back leaving a trail of fire over bronze skin.

Zoro shudders. It's been too long without this type of touch. Too long without Sanji's touch. He needs to talk to the other man though, it's important and they're supposed to be acting like adul- oh, ohhh, that's good. Zoro moans softly as Sanji's hands rub a tense muscle in his back.

Another shuddering breath, this time from the blond, and sanji recedes his hands, much to Zoro's chargin. Sanji lets his hands dangle on the bigger mans shoulders as he gets his breath back, still from that kiss they had only moments ago.

Zoro sits up straight and looks back at Sanji. He scowls to himself. No, there's been too much staring and not enough talking. "How are you feeling?" He wants to know general thing. Even though they kissed, everything is not back to normal. Sanji only nods slightly and wiggles his head to show that he's not the greatest but he's hanging in there.

Zoro frowns once again at the blond man, who is, once again, avoiding eye contact. The green head growles and grabes Sanjis face, forcing the blond man to look at him. There are tears in the mans eyes, and for a scary second, Zoro thinks he's grabbed him too harshly. But the emotion in Sanji's eyes say otherwise. "Cook?" Zoro lets his hands slip from the blond man's face to look at him clearly.

Sanji closes his eyes, letting a tear escape from his left eye and trail down his cheek. Zoro catches it with his thumb brushing it off. "Oi curly, tell me what's going on." He furrows his brow in anger at not being able to help Sanji with whatever it is. If he just knew then maybe he could help.

Sanji seems to know what he's thinking because he just shakes his head and looks down again. Zoro growels and finally snapps. "God damn it Sanji, just freaking look at me!" He barks. The blond man's eyes drag up to peer into the two dark abyss's that happen to be two small portals on Zoro's face. "Just say something." It comes out as more of a whisper and a plea towards Sanji, than an actual sentence. This only seems to make the blond man more upset as a frustrated blush falls across Sanji's face. More tears escape the man's eyelids

'Zoro' Sanji thinks. Maybe if he thinks it hard enough, then it will transmit into the mans head. But alas, Sanji doesn't have superhuman abilities (Other than freaky flexibility) and Zoro doesn't get his message. Slowly he leans forward resting his head on Zoro's chest, and loses himself in silent sobs.

* * *

Zoro's eyes grow wide as he feels Sanji's frame wreck against another sob. Hesitantly he lifts his hands up to the thin frame, and rest on the strong back. Zoro slowly rubs reassuring circles into the small of Sanji's back. What in the world is so hard for Sanji to say?!

Then it hits him. Oh god he's been so stupid not to see it. Sanji being silent this whole time. Silent sobs?! Everything about the blond is quiet now, and that's a big jump from the noisy annoying man he was before! Sanji…

Zoro grips Sanji's shoulders and pushes him up into a sitting position. Staring at his face for a second or two he then makes a demand. "Say something." He fixes Sanji with a determined look. As if he could bring enough courage into Sanji then maybe he'll speak. Of course that's wishful thinking, and all Sanji does is look as Zoro's lips then back into his eyes, before more tears escape his red and puffy eyes. Zoro catches them with his lips. Pressing them to Sanji's cheeks, his chin, his eyelids, and forehead. He showers Sanji in feather light kisses. Trying to show the other man how much he loves him. Just in case Sanji's having second thoughts.

"You can't speak." He breathes out in a sort of whisper. Sanji fixes him with a look that says 'no shit'.

They sit there, close enough to be in personal space, but not too close for it to be awkward for them or anyone else in the room, that happens to be no one.

Zoros fast pulse let's him bounce lightly on the bed. He can't imagine what Sanji's going through right now. Not being able to talk… his number one fear would be that people would ignore him and not talk to him or ask his opinion because it's easier not to. Right at that moment, Zoro promises himself and sorta Sanji too (in his mind) that he's going to do whatever it take for Sanji's voice to be heard.

Sanji presses his forehead to Zoros and breathes the same air for a few moments.

"I love you." Zoro whispers. It sounds hesitant, as if Zoro's not sure Sanji's going to return his feelings. Sanji smiles and presses a light kiss to Zoro's lips.

'You too.'

**End**

* * *

**Some people are asking why Sanji can't talk. He has hit his head, rather hard, twice while getting hit by a car. ALTHOUGH I've never said if it was permanent or not. That is entirely up to you to decide for your self(s).**

**the reason I couldn't put more information into this fic was because it's supposed to be 7k words up to 9k words, and I've got 1075 words. In the story. Maybe a coupple less because of lines and crap.**

**So this is the betta'd version, and it was betta'd by the _amazing Ajalea._ than you so much sweety, you've helped me with my bggest problems in writing!**


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